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July 19th, 2009 |

Water damaged Indoor Environments

It seems as if, as with the issue of mold, water damage has become controversial and complicated. Perhaps someone else heard this and that, this company is saying they do this, while another says no, or that some people feel they have become ill during an injury water, while others do not.

Anyway, most people have experienced water damage either or know someone who has, but few understand its effect on indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and their health. I hope this page can help you understand more about the interior environment of a water damage.

Wikipedia defines the water damage as "a large number of possible losses caused by water intruding where it will attack from a material or a system of destructive processes such as wood rot, growth, oxidation of steel, de-laminating of materials such as plywood, and many, many others.

"The damage can be subtle and minor, such as water spots that could eventually Sea surface or can be instantaneous and catastrophic such as flooding. However, it quickly occurs, water damage is a very important factor loss of property. "

Water damage can be caused by a number of sources, such as leaking plumbing, sewage backups, vandalism, hail damage, clogged gutters, natural disasters, hydrostatic pressure, leaking or congested crawl spaces and attics, and many others.

Whatever the cause, the system, attention must be careful attention to the situation in order to protect everyone's health, indoor air Quality (IAQ) and building components of endangering degradation. The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) in its index Standard & Reference Guide for Professional Water Damage Restoration (hereinafter, the S500), United States several times how "is important to begin to mitigate security procedures as soon as possible after the initial loss, as water quality is likely to deteriorate over time.As water quality deteriorates, the greatest damage to the structure and content coupled with increasing environmental risks are likely to develop ".

The IICRC S500 continues, "If the increased activity of water and / or ERH (equilibrium relative humidity) (de High relative humidity, leaks or flooding) are allowed to exist over 24 hours, the condition changes the normal high mositure stable ecology or part of the indoor environment (a microenvironment such as carpet or drywall) or the entire building. "

Then, "What are some of the changes taking place in a water damaged environment? "

chemical and microbiological outside Gasing
fungi and bacteria amplification
in some cases, transmission of the virus
pest infestations
and more

"Where do these things?" Interior Environments external and naturally, the harbor, to varying degrees of microscopic life forms called "microbes." Microbes is a term used shortly for microorganisms. The microbes are small, unicellular organisms, bacteria, fungi (like mold), and viruses.

While in all living things, they are everywhere, ie that are existing or being able to find anywhere, especially at a time. When exposed to excessive moisture during a period extended time microbes begin to bloom in a population, or ecology, that is unnatural and can cause damage.

The outside comes occurring Gasing of microbes, cleaning agents and building components, such as pesticides and other biocides used in water damage, plastics, paints, synthetic fibers, and many more. This outside Gasing and distribution of chemicals has contributed to a number of health effects in sensitized individuals.

Some examples of these health effects include, but not necessarily limited to migraine headaches, excessive fatigue, neurocognitive symptoms ( "brain fog" or memory loss), muscle pain (fibromyalgia), common paint (rheumatoid arthritis), burning, tingling or numbness in the peripheral nerves (paresthesia), and even gastrointestinal symptoms. Because of the severity associated with health effects and water damage, considered it necessary to classify IICRC water damage based in clean water, to help remedy, restorers, homeowners, and stakeholders materially everyone else make decisions on measures that would should first provide for the health and safety of all involved, and, secondly, how to restore the house to its pre-loss condition.

The three categories of water damage are:

Category 1 refers to "water from a source which poses no substantial damage humans. Also known as "clean water". "
Category 2 refers to "water containing a significant degree of chemical, biological or physical contamination and having the potential to cause illness or disease if they eat or are exposed to humans. Also known as "gray water". "And
Category 3 refers to the "grossly unsafe water, to contain pathogens, which arise from sewage or other contaminated water sources and the probability of causing illness or disease if consumed by or exposed to humans. This category includes all forms of sea water, surface water and ground water from rivers or streams. Also known as "black water". "

Once upon a time someone asks me, "I had a company of damage to water come to my house and tell me they had a water damage Category 3. Does that mean you found hidden mold? "Remember that the category of water refers to the clean water not the presence or absence of mold.

The S500 provides that where "visible mold growth is suspected or present "whoever is the home inspection to determine the scope of work, or protocol, must relate to the IICRC S520 Standard & Guide Reference for Professionals mold.

This is called "Status of specification" rather than a category. "Well, then how do I know the water category, and if I really have to get all of this demolition and reconstruction that my contractor tells me need? "

An inspection, testing and consulting a certified housing Council Environmental Consultant (CIEC) may provide some laboratory work and the description of the conditions of their home or office. Indoor Environmental Consulting solutions can perform tests such as PCR – EPA Environmental related mold Index (ERMI) and endotoxin testing, pollution of waste water in buildings of evidence of organic compounds and microbial Compounds (mVOC) analysis, along with thermography and measure the moisture content of building materials (such as drywall, plaster, wood, etc), and psychrometric measurements (such as temperature, humidity and specific Whiting, dew point, and thirst), all to help diagnose the condition water damaged their environment and provide a recommendation of care, or protocol.

The good news is that you can do things to help to prevent water damage in your home or office with routine maintenance. Here are some suggestions in the area:

A routine review and ensure the lines water, such as under sinks, around toilets, bathtubs and showers, dishwasher, washing machine, water heater machine and refrigerator.

Make sure to test your sump pump before the start of each rainy season to ensure it works properly.

Battery operated backup sump pumps and / or a generator can also be used to protect against power failure or failure of the primary pump.
Check your water heater for signs of mold or moisture.
Have your HVAC system services of a qualified contractor, ensure they include in their inspection and cleaning of condensate drain line Pan (keep clear).
Make sure your heating, ventilation, filter and air conditioning (HVAC) system stays clean and use a filter with a MERV 6 or higher qualification. This helps reduce particles that flow through your HVAC system, thereby reducing the likelihood that this system will be a source of poor indoor air quality.
Consider installing a water alarm. These systems can be configured as a single apparatus or systems of systems throughout the house. Some systems can be configured to sound an alarm when it detects moisture, others can turn off water to the building where the leak is detected.

But if you have the unfortunate experience of having a water damage in your home or office, make sure that the process of damage quickly and completely. Damaged water environments may be affected by mold and other microorganisms (including bacteria), in some cases as little as 24 to 72 hours. That does not necessarily mean you will see growth Mold, soon, but the indoor air quality could be compromised by mold or bacterial activity, so you can make cleaning the water.

The S500 said of category 1 and the water damage 2 that "the water contact with structural surfaces and content materials may deteriorate in cleanliness as it dissolves or mixes with soil and other contaminants, and as time goes on. "

"How do find a qualified water damage restoration technician (WRT)? "I am familiar with the two organizations that can help you find WRT, as stating. The first is the Association of Catering Industry (RIA). You can search by certifying or member of your website. The second is the establishment of inspection, cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC). These include enterprises that are certified through their training and certification programs. Also find references to other professionals such as technicians are certified and fire restoration carpet cleaning products.

There are times and places where you may be in a position where there is no WRT available to help remedy or correct, the problem of water damage in your home or office. Indoor Environmental Solutions Consulting offers moisture mapping, monitoring, and project management services to help those in need of rehabilitation WRT in restoration projects.

Do not repair or restore the building, but we can work with the contractor on site and manage the recovery / restore process with you. If you feel there is no one near enough to your area to manage the services to combat water damage with us and we will gladly help.

About the Author

Jason has been in the remediation, restoration and indoor air quality industry for over sixteen years. During that time he has become one of few to earn four board awards with the American Indoor Air Quality Council: Council-certified Indoor Environmental Consultant, Council-certified Indoor Environmentalist, Council-certified Microbial Remediation Supervisor, and Council-certified Microbial Remediator. Additionally, Jason holds a certification with the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification, namely the Water-damage Restoration Technician; and has completed independent certification through other safety and health courses and subrogation.

Jason owns and operates SOLUTIONS Indoor Environmental Consulting. For more information on Jason and SOLUTIONS IEC visit www.SolutionsIEC.com

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